Buggy-top-joint controller.



N0- 827,651. PATENTED JULY 31, 1906.

T. M. NIMMO & G. B. LONG. BUGGY TOP JOINT CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAYG, 1906.

rm! NORRIS PITERS ca, wAsnmcrom-m'n UNITED STATES PATENT FFTCE.

THOMAS MAXWELL NIMMO, OF GLENDALE, AND COLEMAN BISMARK LONG, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31, 1906.

Application filed May 6,1905. Serial No. 259,164.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS MAXWELL NrMMo, residing at Glendale, in the county of Hardin, and COLEMAN BISMARK Lone, residing at Louisville, in the county of J efferson, State of Kentucky, citizens of the United States, have jointly invented a new and useful Buggy-Top-Joint Controller, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus for raising and folding or unfolding a buggy-top, which is ac complished by the actuation of a clutch-wheel adapted to cause the top joints to be actuate The invention consists, further, in various details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

We illustrate our invention in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a carriagetop, showing the application of our invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the clutchand means actuated thereby for breaking the joints of the top. Fig. 3 is a detail view, in side elevation, of one of the shafts to which one of the joints is connected. Fig. 4 is a similar view of another shaft having connection with one of the joints, and Fig. 5 is a side view of the clutch-wheel, showing the spring attached thereto.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by numerals, 9 designates a hollow shaft, a detail of which is shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, which has series of notches 10 at one end, and its opposite end is formed square to receive one end of a joint 4, having a square-outlined aperture therein, and 11 designates a shaft having a squared portion 11 near one end and a contracted threaded portion 13, adapted to receive a nut 14, illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

17 in Fig. 2 of the drawings designates two plates which are apertured to receive said olts and are bolted to the middle of the three braces (indicated by numeral 3) and, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, being held by means of screws or other fastening means.

7 and 8 designate, respectively, two washers, which are mounted upon the hollow shaft 9.

18 designates a washer which is interposed between braces 4 and 5, which are mounted, respectively, upon the squared portions of the shafts 9 and 1 1, the washer 8 being interposed between brace 9 and plate 17.

' 6 designates a clutch-wheel having a collar 16 with lugs 16 projecting from the opposite edges thereof, said shell being fastened in a central opening in the wheel. One end of the shaft 1 1 is provided with a head 11 having notches 12 therein, which are adapted to be engaged by the lugs 16 upon one end of the shell when the wheel is at the limit of its outward throw.

15 designates a disk which is fixed to the washer 7 and has resilient arms 15, at the ends of which are laterally-projecting lugs which turn about the spokes of said wheel, thereby holding the arms to the wheel. The lugs 16 upon the inner edge of said wheel 16 are designed when the wheel is pushed against the washer 7 to engage the recesses 10, formed in the outer end of the shaft 9.

The operation of our apparatus is as follows: When the wheel is in the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and the wheel rotated, the shaft 11 will be rocked, which will cause the brace 5 secured thereto to break at the joint 5*, thus allowing the forward part of the top to fold, and by pushing in upon the wheel 6, making the lugs 16 engage the recesses in the end of the shaft 9, and imparting when in this position a partial rotary movement to the wheel 6 the shaft 9 will be rocked and with it the upper brace 4 will be caused to swing, breaking the joint 4 as will be readily understood. When pressure is removed from the wheel 6, it will return to its normal position.

What we claim is 1. An apparatus for breaking joints of a carriage-top, comprising, in combination with the shaft 1 1, having a head with recesses in the edge thereof, a second shaft telescoping over the first-mentioned shaft and provided with recesses at one end, braces secured to squared portions of said shafts, a springpressed wheel, a shell carried thereby andprovided with lugs designed to engage recesses in said shafts, whereby one or the other of the latter may be caused to be rocked and break the joints of the top, as set forth.

2. An apparatus for breaking joints of carriage-tops comprising, in combination with the shaft 11 rovided with a head with recesses in one face thereof, a hollow shaft telescoping over said shaft 11 and provided with recesses at one end, braces secured to said shafts, washers mounted upon said hollow shaft, a brace intermediate said washers, plates secured to said brace, a clutch-wheel aving lugs designed to engage the notches 10 in said shafts, and a disk having resilient arms engaging the spokes of said wheel, as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of 

